November 2022
The drums are the beat; some say the heartbeat, the rhythm and some say human’s first expression of music. The drum is a musical instrument, the sound of which is made by beating a membrane stretched over a hollow object.
By: Hawa Atongi
Drums have been in existence for centuries. Both communication and entertainment benefited from the sounds produced by the drums. The innate desire for rhythm gave rise to the modern drum kits we have today. Some say it originated in China around 5,500 BC while others argue that its origin is from the Neolithic era (Mesopotamia: Iraq, Syrian etc. region), 5,000 BC.
The Bass Drum: A sizable, hollow drum with two drumheads is the bass drum, and a big, cushioned mallet is often used to play the drum.
Around 1400 AD, the bass drum first appeared in Europe. The term “Turkish drum” refers to its ancestor, the Turkish davul, due to its capacity to produce a deeper, more distinctive tone than other drum varieties. Typically, marching bands move to the rhythm of this drum.
The Bongo Drum: A bongo drum is an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument made of two drums (twin drums), varying-sized open-bottomed drums that are typically played with the hand. The majority of people believe that the idea for this drum originated in Africa and that it was first created in Cuba in the early 1800s.
The Snare Drum: Snare drums have a distinctive sound that comes from a group of wires that are attached outside the bottom drumhead. The “snare” wires on the drum produce a distinctive sound when it is struck, earning it the moniker “snare drum.” By the 18th and 19th centuries, the military had started using this drum, which historians say dates back to the year 1300.
The Drum Kit: The drum kit must always be brought up in order to conclude any conversation concerning drumming. The drum kit is a collection of percussion instruments set up so that one person can play them together. The drum kit features other percussion instruments such as a cymbal, drum pedals, hi-hat, floor tom, and tom-tom drum, just to mention a few.
